The One Without A Name
by Dark Mage Zeref
Summary: She was lost and broken. He was the one that found her. Its a oneshot, but may evolve depending on feedback.
1. Chapter 1

She meandered down the roads of Magnolia. She had long since lost track of time, but it seemed she had been staggering blindly for days. The ropes, frayed and beaten, bound her hands behind her torn blue shirt. Her legs and feet were so beaten raw from the cruel forests and animals looking to taste her weak body there was no skin in sight and the yellowed bandages (reeking of infection in verisimilitude) were muddy to the point of being plastered to her body; and her arms were in a no better state beneath her weathered sleeves. Her face was the picture of desolation and morbidity. Her once vibrant brown eyes were as sorrowful as burnt out charcoal and her blonde hair was sullied with all kinds of forestry.

As she stumbled again she toppled over, falling on her stomach. Her old wounds ached as the street dust filled them. The dirt on her face mingled with her tears as she felt her will dissolving along with the evening sunlight. She had been through Hell and didn't even have the energy to go back. She had her pride beaten from her, her emotion, her vigor that once filled her body. Most of all, her love of her Spirits. Her magic used to fill her with glee and she envied the day her Mother would pass on her Keys. Now she cursed the one who invented magic. It caused her such pain she couldn't put it into words. She fought the urge to stop breathing right there and let the pain go away for eternity. She promised him she would stay strong, and she couldn't let it go for naught. Then his death would have been a meaningless waste. All of their deaths would have been meaningless. She hiccuped, recoiling at the pain it caused in her aching chest.

If she had not lost her belief in Gods - because if one truly existed, not simply a puerile way of giving hope - she would have believed her meeting with _him_ was a product of contingency but _fated_. He was there that day, running beside the river at the flank of what appeared to be a flying blue cat. She blinked; she must have been hallucinating at this point. He came to a sudden stop yards away at the bridge's front, spraying dust everywhere.

"It was me! I finished first!" said the man. He had very odd hair; it was a rosy-pink shade that, in the waning sunlight, reminded her of the blossoms she used to see at home. Her heart ached deeply at the memory.

"No! I was the winner!" the blue cat shouted back. Now I'm really loosing it, the girl thought, her head slumping forward. She let her eyes fall shut. If it could make all that pain go away, she would do anything...

"Happy! Look!" The _bam-bam_ of shoes on dirt. Then hands, calloused but gentle, lifting her head. "Its a girl! But she's...she's really..."

The Dragon Slayer had heard of love. He had heard of those whom died for the cause; who would do anything for the person they loved. He had dismissed the notion as insane. Why would you die for someone, especially if you only met them? Love at first sight to him was like a Mage that doesn't use magic - impossible. But, gazing at the broken girl in front of him, his heart pounded like never before. Bloody and battered and bruised as she was. Ardor heated his mind and clouded his rational thoughts. I'll kill whoever did this to her! he thought, sliding one arm under her legs carefully and lifting her into his arms.

"We should take her to the guild," the cat suggested. "Wendy can patch her up."

"Happy," he said, his tone mordacious. The blue cat flinched; his friend never spoke to him like that. Then he sighed. "Sorry, I'm just kind of...whatever. Yeah, let's go to the guild."

She felt herself being carried but hadn't the energy to speak up. The man bounced and ran but constantly softened the impact for her. She couldn't imagine why a stranger would be so kind. She hadn't seen kindness in ten years. It seemed the cat had landed on her; she felt his smooth fur brush against her damaged skin. "Its okay," he said. She tried her hardest to pay attention. "I'm Happy. Natsu has you. We're going to Fairy Tail."

Fairy Tail. She had heard of it. The Guild that constantly caused trouble but held strong as the strongest Guild in Fiore. Happy the blue cat. He was just as infamous as his partner he constantly clung to: Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer. She had heard of him as a brutish monster who took out half a city when the job required the arrest of one man. She could never imagine the same man who burned down ten buildings could handle a lady so gently; she couldn't imagine the same hands that spewed fire at all heinous villains could be so soft and attentive; she couldn't imagine the one who constantly roared profanities and words of warnings at his opponents could speak with such genuine sorrow and fear. She never thought.

"It'll be okay," he whispered to her. The last time she heard those words she was attacked and nearly died. This time, she believed in the words as true comfort to her sorrow.

* * *

"She's hurt, she's hurt really bad..."

"Wendy, don't overexert yourself!"

"Wendy please, heal her as much as you can!"

"What? Flamebrain actually cares?"

A _bang_ and a crack. "Shut the hell up Gray! Spewing all this crap!"

"Natsu calm down!"

"Natsu!"

"Natsu!"

She felt her pain slowly wane. Her wounds burned slightly as they closed up, most likely not even leaving a scar. The healing halted abruptly but it was enough. She could move freely now. She opened her eyes and witnessed something frightening: the man who had saved her - Natsu - was being held back by three others as a raven-haired boy sat back clutching his bleeding nose. A woman stood watching over him, rigid as the shining armor she bore. She had heard of her before: Titania, Erza Scarlet.

"Wendy," a white cat said, holding a blue-haired girl by the arm. She looked up and smiled, wiping her sweaty forehead.

"I did the best I could," she said softly. "You'll have to rest to regain all your strength."

Natsu stopped struggling against the burly Mages' grip to look at her. His eyes, black as charcoal, seemed to soften. He had never thought brown was a nice color; he always attributed it to poop or mud. But in her eyes, in her large, beautiful eyes framed by soft golden lashes, it was as precious a color as diamonds or gold to a person. The Mages released him when he calmed down. "Sorry, Gray," he said quite loudly. Everyone in the room gasped; Natsu _never_ apologized. Something was amiss in the cosmos. He slowly approached the girl as one would an injured animal. He rested his hands on the edge of the bed and leaned in a bit closer than necessary. "Are you okay?" he said very softly in contrast to his usual rash tone.

She looked at her lap. Someone had replaced her clothes with a white shirt and pants. Her body also shined with a clean glow as it hadn't done in many years. She felt almost...normal. She looked around; she was in a rectangular room with white walls and a wooden floor. There were two beds other than the one she currently occupied; on them were seated an assortment of Mages, all staring at her in anticipation. She slowly, almost dramatically, turned to Natsu. His eyes widened eagerly. He wanted to hear her.

"Thank you, my savior, Dragon Slayer Natsu," she said very clearly with not a single discrepancy. Natsu's heart went into a frenzy. Her voice went through his ears like silken bells, caressing his skin and making him feel like passing out and doing a giddy dance at the same time. His body temperature was higher than normal - if not for that, he would have been blushing very badly, his feelings on display for everyone to witness.

"What's...what's your name?" he said, snapping from his delusions. She looked at her hands.

"My name's been lost over the years..." she whispered. "I have no name."

Erza Scarlet started herding the other Mages out of the room. Natsu refused to move and Gray left only after the blue-haired Mage healed his broken nose and left. Erza almost closed the door but a cane stopped it from locking.

"Let me see the child," a withered voice said. Erza opened the door, giving a wide berth to a short, white haired elder bearing the Ten Wizard Saints coat. He used his cane for every step even though it was quite obvious he was more than capable of walking on his own. Maybe to appear as weak as she was, she thought. He sat on a chair adjacent to her bed. "Where did you come from, my child?" he asked. A simple question, not even prying.

She swallowed hard. Natsu threw the man a horrid look for making her upset. Then she started, low at first but slowly increasing with her passion. "They took me. They wanted my magic because it linked us to the Other World. They did all kinds of experiments. It hurt, every bleeding second of it hurt. I was beaten whenever I didn't do what they wanted. So bad...I wanted to end it all so bad...they locked me up each and every night. I took solace in the company of my Spirits. They were as weary as I but kept me company, kept me going every day when I stopped. Especially him..." The Spirit she cared for most, Loke. He was always there for her when she was a child, picking her up when she fell, helping her go to sleep whenever she had a bad dream. It wasn't love she felt for him, it was an eternal connection. He knew her better than anyone else, as if they were two parts of the same person. Then, the day came. "He wanted to get me out. He told me to run, to go find friends and get my life back. I had been there for ten years, since my mother and father passed. He...he and all my Spirits died there. They took out the whole place and their Keys were destroyed." She felt hot tears stain the collar of her new shirt. "They wanted me to live. But I can't live without them."

The room grew silent. It was only the three of them but all sounds disappeared immediately. Natsu stared, his eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't imagine her living a life like that, but he prayed secretly that she lived to see this day. She lived to see_ him_. The man cleared his throat, jumping down from his seat. "Natsu, I can trust you to watch over her until she recovers?"

"Of course!" Natsu said, overzealous as ever. Before the man left her turned once more.

"My name is Makarov Dreyar," he said. "You can come to me if you need any sort of assistance." He paused again. "...Is there any sort of name you feel partial too? Because it'd be odd if you went around with no name!"

She stared at the wall. Then at Natsu. Then back at Makarov. There was a name she loved. She had two little dolls, one named Michelle. She would play with the two for hours on end before she was taken. She would do all kinds of scenarios, even pretend they were two Mages. The other doll she always called... "Lucy. I want...wish to be called Lucy."

"Lucy," Natsu repeated. The name rolled off the tongue just right. He loved it and he could tell she did as well. Just as she spoke it her face lit up almost childishly and she smiled, slowly but surely.

"To make it official...hello, my name is Lucy." That moment, Natsu made a solemn vow. He'd protect her with his life and make sure she lived to see everyday. And he'd make sure she never cried or frowned. He'd make sure she always smiled from that point on.


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu constantly watched over Lucy as she recovered. He slept in one of the beds and always made sure she was alright. Whenever Mirajane brought food he had to coax her as you would a child; she was very hesitant, but he was firm enough to get her to clear her plate. The way she ate gave him the feeling she hadn't done so in a long time. That filled him to the brim with rage and he so desperately wanted to burn whomever caused her so much pain until they begged her forgiveness. She seemed the most amused by Happy, who constantly flitted in and out and always offered her his half-eaten fish. One lesson Natsu learned the hard way was: never use magic around her.

In serotinal times, the Guild members were relishing in the waning heat. Natsu became more of a use, helping to ward off cold autumn winds, while Gray was almost jilted due to a lack of a need for ice. He decided to take it out on the Dragon Slayer, who was telling Lucy a story animatedly in the infirmary. He burst through the doors wearing only his underwear. "Oi, get outta here Pinkhead!"

"What, Naked Lad?" Natsu snapped in reply, lurching from his seat.

"As you heard, idiot!" Gray said. Natsu cocked a fist and it roared alive with flames. He almost punched Gray and knocked the scar off his face. He would have, if Lucy hadn't screamed right then.

Natsu looked back and saw her eyes wide, all color gone from her face, her fists clenched to the point of her long nails digging into her palms. She was the absolute image of terror. From that point on Natsu was sure not to use any magic around her. He never wanted to see her so terrified again. It made him feel worse to know he was the one that scared her so. She seemed fine enough with Happy however, but he stopped questioning that because every time he brought it up she'd mention his motion sickness.

He didn't really think much of her feel until one day she flat-out stated, "I hate magic!"

He froze in his tracks. The torch he was about to consume lay flaming in his hand. "...What?"

She looked at him crossly. Then she seized upon seeing his hurt expression. "Hate would be a strong word...I'm sorry. But magic is the direct source of my problems! My mother, she had a very strong amount of magic energy. She could summon four spirits at the time. She was in an individual Guild with my father...they worked against Dark Guilds. One Dark Guild thought it interesting that she held so much magic power, though in truth, it caused a lot of stress on her body. She only kept using it because she wanted to make this world a better place."

"Ok, um..." Natsu was still feeling a bit slow on the uptake. "Your mom, she...you know...but what about your dad? If he was still alive, couldn't he rescue you?"

An angry expression so strong Natsu felt his skin was peeling off crossed Lucy's small features. He instantly regretted asking the question. "They...wait, let me start a little earlier...my parents, because of the travelling they did, they became short of money...When my mother passed my father was so drowned in debt we couldn't stay in any one place for too long. Then he was given an offer he apparently could not refuse: 2,000,000J, all for his daughter whom, at the time, had so little magic power. He caved without a second thought."

"Oh..." If Natsu ever saw that guy he'd punch the stupidity out of him.

"I loved my Spirits to pieces but what happened to them fills me with sorrow. Magic gives me a range of emotions, but none pleasant."

"I'll change that!" exclaimed the Dragon Slayer as he downed the fire in a single bite and lurched to his feet. He grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her off the bed. "I'll show you how great magic is!"

Lucy couldn't help blushing. She had forgotten what it like to have a man hold her hand and for the action not to be endearing. "I don't think that's possible, Natsu..."

"Anything's possible!" he said, giving her a smile so wide she thought his face would rip in half. "We're Fairy Tail Wizards!"

"I'm not a..." then she saw it. The Fairy Tail mark, bright pink on her left hand. "Natsu!"

He scratched his neck anxiously. "I wanted it to be a surprise. So...surprise!"

"A surprise? Isn't that...oh, I dunno..._illegal_!?"

"C'mon, Luce, we're friends aren't we? Calm down!"

"Its not Luce! And we aren't-" she broke off. The term 'friend' had almost become foreign to her. But this dim-witted, pink-haired Dragon Slayer was actually the closest to a friend she had. "...I suppose."

"Oh!" he said. "I have an idea!"

"Say it before it dies of loneliness," Lucy snorted, still a bit miffed that he marked her body while she was sleeping.

"You can come on a mission with me, Erza, and Gray, and you can see how cool magic is firsthand!"

"Aye!" Happy chimed, floating in through the window. Lucy gave him a funny look.

"But, I don't have any outdoor clothes, just these infirmary clothes." There was a knock on the door and Mirajane smiled as she walked in holding a bundle of clothes.

"Natsu, I got these ready for you," she said, her eyes hinting at a different understanding of the situation. Because the Dragon Slayer would never spend that much time with a girl unless they were...special.

"Thanks Mira!" Natsu beamed, taking the clothes and giving them to Lucy. "We'll be waiting outside, ok?" Before she could respond he raced out the door shouting to the other Guild members. Lucy sighed in defeat, shrugging out of the worn clothes.

"Natsu may seem a bit dense," Mira said as Lucy got dressed. "But he's very sweet. He'll go to any and all lengths for those he considers friends, and even villains as well. He has a kind of...charisma, you can say, to persuade others. Most people think his power is his fire, but in reality its his heart."

Lucy finished dressing and admired the outfit. [Its her year X791 outfit.] "Cool," she commented. She noticed a whip hanging off the belt and held it in her hands. "What's this?"

"Its called River of Stars," Mirajane said. "It works by magic power."

Lucy carefully replaced it in its holster. She most likely would never use it.

* * *

"Bohuuoh," Natsu groaned, his head in Lucy's lap. She looked at the scenery speeding by through the train's window.

"Is he always...this way?" she asked Erza, feeling awkward talking to a Mage of such high stature. More so by Gray's naked figure.

"Quite, he's very susceptible to motion sickness," she replied. Lucy was in awe about how confident Titania was, yet she was still kind and caring of her fellow members. And Gray...well...her opinion of him might improve if he'd put some freaking pants on.

"Lu...cy..." Natsu choked out. Not knowing how to reply she gently stroked his rosy hair. He sighed; he seemed to enjoy the gesture.

"What's the mission?" Lucy asked Erza. Just then, the train came to a sudden halt, throwing Natsu to the ground. Erza smirked a bit as the loudspeaker came on.

"Attention passengers," a deep voice boomed, "this train is currently under the control of A8A! Nobody make any moves or calls on Lacrima, and we'll be making rounds! Have anything of minimum value at the ready!"

"Bandits," Erza said flatly. "They've been robbing a series of trains, and we've deduced this one would be next."

Loud clangs and slams came from the train cars to the north. Natsu lurched to his feet, energized. "I'm all fired up!" he roared, flames erupting from his mouth. Gray elbowed him hard in the stomach.

"Idiot! You'll set the train on fire!" he scolded. Natsu gave him the finger behind his back. Lucy watched as the door slammed open and three heavy-set men in black masks trudged through, stopping at every seat to shove valuables in large burlap sacks.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu boomed despite Gray's warning. The fire streaked over the nearest man's head as he ducked and blew out the majority of the side wall. The man charged up magic in his free hand.

"Fire Magic!" he shouted, throwing a wave of flames at Natsu. Sadly, he failed to recognize the famous Salamander, the one who literally ate flames for breakfast. Natsu sucked up the flames and swallowed, exhaling a circle of smoke.

"I'll take this guy," he said over his shoulder. "Erza, Gray, you take the other two!"

Erza and Gray leapt over the seats to match the other two Mages, who used Air Magic and Snow Magic respectively. Natsu fought the Fire Mage albeit a bit show-off-y, attempting to put on a good show for Lucy. She stared on, trying to bury her feelings of contempt under poor excuses. "The magic is good." "Its being used by Fairy Tail Wizards." Not that she even had an opinion of magic. Magic could be considered either good or evil depending on the user. But to her it all seemed negative.

"Mmmh!" Lucy squealed in silence. The Mage, burnt heavily, had grabbed her, clapping a hand around her mouth.

"Attack, and you burn the girl!" he growled. Natsu froze, staring at Lucy. She struggled to reach for the whip Mira left for her. Frankly, she was unsure if she had magic to use anymore; she hadn't even tried in a long time. But she wanted to do something to help, even if it meant she'd be going against her own words. She was determined to be strong for...the Dragon Slayer. Why? That she couldn't explain.

She grabbed the whip's handle and bit the man's hand as hard as she could. He roared with pain and she stood in front of Natsu defiantly, the whip raised. She felt the magic inside of her faintly. She focused hard, trying to channel it into the whip.

What happened next was pain. Extreme, shocking, unbelievable burning pain in her chest and arm. She sunk to the ground, unable to withstand the pure agony. It was so reminiscent of the Dark Guild's experiments she really couldn't take it. She heard Natsu's flames roar to life, someone shouting, a voice calling her name, fading...

* * *

What is this development? Lucy unable to use magic!? Then how the hell is she a Wizard? Think of her as having the same past as Ul, lol. I love your reviews, let's go, you all 'r getting me fired up!


	3. Chapter 3

"Lu-chan!" exclaimed the aqua-haired bookworm Levy, "Did you read the books I sent?"

"Mhm," Lucy smiled, sitting next to the Mage. She held out the books. "I especially like _Chasing Rainbows_." She felt fine, despite the previous events.

_Lucy woke up in Fairy Tail's infirmary. Natsu was sitting parallel to the bed, staring at the window. "Natsu?" she said softly._

_His attention snapped to her and he beamed. "Lucy! Your awake!"_

_"Yes..." Lucy slowly sat up and noticed bandages around her arm and chest area. "What happened?"_

_Natsu frowned. "You...caught on fire. And I swear it wasn't me!"_

_"I caught on fire?" Lucy repeated dumbly. She remembered pain, so that made it a possibility._

_"Your magical signature," said Guild leader Makarov as he walked in. "Celestial Magic was once known as Spiritual Magic for its affinity towards other energies. The Spirits you could summon all use different types of magic which, in essence, allow the Caster to sync with the Spirits and call them to this world. It seems that whatever the Dark Guild did to you allowed you to wield others' magic."_

_"But why Natsu's?" Lucy asked. Makarov answered with a I-know-you-like-him smirk._

_"Maybe he was the one on your mind at the time," he whistled. Lucy buried her face in the pillow to hide her blush as he left._

_"That's so cool!" Natsu exclaimed, oblivious to her embarrassment. "You can use my magic! Wait, you can use everyone else's magic! Maybe you could use Erza's magic! You'd so give her a run for her money, Luce!" He started babbling on about Erza getting beat up and Lucy tuned him out. He was adorable, yes, but not all the time._

_"Natsu, I can't," Lucy said. He looked at her like a kicked puppy. "I can't Natsu, I don't have the resolve to...even so, the fire burned me. I can't use magic if it simply backfires."_

_"Aw," Natsu sulked. Then he looked up. "Then, how about something else?"_

_"What?" Lucy asked warily. He smiled again and extended his hand to her._

_"We go out, the two of us!"_

_"No magic?"_

_"Only the one we create!" he beamed. Lucy blushed but Natsu missed the point. _[Hey look everyone, Natsu made a double entendre! How cocky!]_ "What, what is it?"_

_"No...nothing...but..."_

_"Luce!" Natsu whined. He actually looked like he would cry. Finally, she gave in._

"Lu-chan, in other news," Levy leaned in close to Lucy's face. "I heard you and Natsu were going on a date."

Lucy blushed. She loved little Levy because they both shared a passion for books (because Lucy someday wanted to be an infamous author like Kemu Zaleon) but sometimes the Mage had the strangest little fantasies. "N-no," Lucy mumbled. "He just wanted to make me feel better. Because, you know, everything happened..."

"Yes, yes, whatever you say," Levy mused. Lucy couldn't grasp why Levy was so bent on the two of them, especially with Jet and Droy always on her tail. Mira walked by casually, dropping a plate of soup in front of Lucy.

"Thank you, Mirajane," Lucy said, picking up the spoon.

"Nee, Lucy," Mirajane said sweetly. Lucy stopped, a spoonful of soup halfway down her throat. Mirajane's smile was like the kiss of death now. "I heard you and Natsu..."

"No!" Lucy swallowed. She formed an X with her arms. "I'm. Not. Going. Out. With-"

"Hi Luce!" the man of the hour shouted, throwing his arm around her shoulders. She turned so red her face literally caught fire. Natsu didn't seem to care one way or another as he ate the flames, making her even more embarrassed. "Anyway, Luce," he said, his mouth full. He sat next to Lucy and she skittered away a bit. He moved an inch closer with every inch she created. "What? What are you doing?"

"Natsu," Lucy said between her fingers, "don't you think you're a bit too...intimate?"

"What's 'intimate' mean?" he question. Lucy shook her head and gave up. "Lucy, where do ya wanna go?"

"Book store?" she suggested.

"But that's reading!" Natsu complained.

"And Natsu doesn't have ee-que points to read!" Happy joined in, landing on Natsu's head.

"That's IQ," Levy corrected the cat.

"I know the perfect place~" Mira mused. Lucy shuddered internally. She set a flyer between the two of them.

"Fireworks?" Natsu exclaimed happily. "That's awesome! Let's go, Lucy!" He noticed his friend lacked his vigor, but to be frank, nobody got as excited as Natsu did most of the time. "Lucy? Hey, Luce?"

Lucy was fixated upon the flyer. The bright dichromatic bursts were a bit too reminiscent of her old life. Her mother used to always create such light shows with her magic, and when she had time, she'd take Lucy out to a fireworks show. She clenched her chest, sucking up the tears welling in her eyes. "Um...no thanks, Natsu."

"Lucy," Natsu said sternly. She looked at him. "Even if the past holds sad memories, you have to be able to make new ones. You can make new memories with your friends and be able to smile instead of cry."

"I know, Natsu, just...no." She stood up without another word and walked briskly from the guild. Natsu started to follow her, but Levy grabbed his hand.

"Natsu, you have to understand," she said, her hazel eyes pleading. "Even if you keep telling you, bad memories can't disappear with just words. She can't forget everything so simply!" Levy almost started crying as well, hearing Lucy's story in depth from her. "...Give her time, Natsu."

Patience was a virtue our Dragon Slayer had yet to master. When he had a thought in his mind (however rare that might be) he'd pursue it immediately. To give Lucy time was the same principle as dying his hair blue (even though the idea might make him loose some distinguishing traits) but he felt that it could be slightly possible, because he didn't want to see her cry again. "Where's she going anyway?" Natsu said, defeated, as he sat in the seat.

Levy put on her glasses and opened a book. "Some of the Guild members helped pitch in and rented an apartment for her."

"What? How come I didn't hear about that?"

"Your broke, Natsu," Happy reminded him. Natsu crossed his arms and pouted.

"Wish I knew though," he sulked. He'd go looking for her eventually though. He couldn't leave Lucy alone for too long. He felt too strongly for that.

* * *

Lucy took a bath and dried her hair off. She felt too indebted to the Guild already but they forced her to accept the apartment. She'd have to pay rent but it was nice enough. Some of the girls spared a few of their clothes that "didn't fit anymore" or so they claimed. The sun was almost gone in the sky but she really didn't care. She'd gone here as soon as she left the Guild, cried a bit, then tried reading the books Levy had left in the bookshelves. Soon she was completely consumed in the fanciful stories until she lost track of time. By now most of the Guild had probably left. She remembered with a start the fireworks, but Natsu had gone home as well by now. It was too late anyway.

Lucy sighed as she put on a plain white shirt and pink shorts and sat on the edge of her bed. She didn't feel like reading and was totally blank with story ideas. She ran her hand through her hair; she wished that she had decided on _something_ to do with Natsu. "What's he doing?" Lucy wondered aloud.

_Pop, pop._

Lucy didn't really mind the noise, it was when she heard shouting she had to open her window and peer into the night. "Someone stole the fireworks!" someone shouted. People and Mages alike ran through Magnolia, searching for the thief. Lucy sighed, leaning over the windowsill.

"What kind of dim-witted, moron would do something like..." It seemed fate was back on her side, for the universe answered her question rather quickly. A bright pink firework exploded not too far from her apartment, tinged with orange-red flames characteristic of the one person she knew, quote, Dim-witted moronic enough to steal fireworks for a single person in the first place. She leaned out closer, keeping a firm hold on the window. No mistake. On a rooftop nearby she could vaguely see pink spikes.

"Natsu!" she shouted into the night, sure he would hear.

Elsewhere, Natsu smiled back at the blonde head in the white apartment. "Aye! She's smiling!" Happy cheered as he handed Natsu another firework. The Dragon Slayer threw it in the air with ease and spat out a wisp of flames, lighting it ablaze.

"Sure is Happy," he agreed. This time, the firework shaped a golden key. The next one formed Lucy's smiling face, one Natsu memorized perfectly.

In her window, Lucy started crying, joyful. This idiot, Dragneel Natsu, could turn her life around...and then some.

* * *

Lol! I realized a bit later that this referenced the omake with the Sakura trees! I love that chapter because it shows how much Natsu really cares for Lucy, and it was more evident in the anime.

kimmylee123 Kem you whack and your gonna do me like that for real not even gonna follow the story or something?

KhaalidaNyx I don't have anything against Loke =P I needed a martyr for Lucy. And it wasn't gonna be Gray! I love that guy!

Myother reviewers I love that love for my story!


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, miss, careful or ya might fall!" two passerby's in a boat shouted at Lucy, who was balancing herself on the river's barricade. She held a stack of books in one hand, brimming with excitement to read Levy's latest recommendations. The two were a perfect match of bookworms, but there was another match-up the Mage never failed to mention.

"You and Natsu," Levy would always suggest.

"No way on Earthland," Lucy would retort. The Dragon Slayer was admittedly extremely sexy _but_ also her friend and somewhat of a mentor. The great majority of the reason was her heart was still cracked over her spirits. Love was still a long deal off.

"I'm okay!" shouted Lucy to the boaters. Lucy hopped off the stone and walked up to the front door of her new home, pulling out her keys. A swishing sound caused her to freeze in her tracks. "Who's there?" she called, setting the books down. Her first instinct was to call Natsu - and he probably could have heard her - but she didn't want to burden him more than she already did. "Show yourself!"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already~ "

Lucy knew that voice. It was the one that sent chills down her spine and turned her legs to jelly beneath her. The hand, still freezing cold and smooth, caressed her jaw gently. "I'd hate to be a long forgotten mem~ory..."

"..." Lucy couldn't make her mouth work. She felt as trapped as before, bound and at the mercy of the Dark Guild. For all she could do she might as well have gone back in time. Suddenly, the night air was even colder on her bare skin. "..."

"Speechless as always~" Zephyr mused. His voice was sweet but it made her want to throw up. He finally pulled back enough for her to see. He hadn't changed at all in the past month; the only noticeable difference was that his black hair was straight now instead of his usual corkscrew curls. It fell messily around his jaw and chin. In the crescent moon, his eyes glittered like melted gold. Lucy fell back against the door, curling in on herself like she always did. "Old habits die haa~ard I guess," he murmured, holding her face between his hands. There it was, the Guild mark just above his left eye. The one that brought terror to her for so many years.

"Chromeadder," Lucy choked out. A black snake wound around a severed arm. That was the mark.

"Right right," he cheered, carefully lifting Lucy to his feet. He waggled a finger at her as you would a child. "But that was ba~ad of you to run away, you know...Siren-sama is real mad, yo~"

"I don't care," said Lucy, but her defiance was lost in her moment of weakness. _They found me. They found me._

"I know you~do," said Zephyr, returning his arm to the shroud of his black cloak. The beaded decorations on his shoulder were damaged, Lucy noted. The rainbow beads and rings were cracked. Loke was the one who had done the damage. Otherwise, her escape would have failed, considering Zephyr was in Team TWEightTY, the most feared Dark Guild team for the majority of Fiore. He followed her eyes and smiled, patting the beads. "Oh~you noticed that. Its very hard to replace these. Magnolia has a lack of...necessary tools."

"Lie," retorted Lucy, gaining a bit of confidence. She straightened up and pointed at him accusingly. "Mauk could easily have repaired them."

"Hmm~" he said, his smiling growing wider. Lucy flinched, her arm dropping uselessly to her side. Does he mean to convey he can take me without his magic? she thought, growing cold. She started getting colder as the memories of her torture came upon her in a rush. She felt hot tears run down her cheeks but paid them no mind.

_It hurts...It hurts..._

_Lucy, its almost done._

_Where's daddy? He told me he'd be back for me...?_

_Your father's not coming back. Its funny, really, how we bought you off so easily._

_What? Daddy wouldn't!_

_But he did in the end. And you are ours down to the last strand of hair on your head...oops, that's gone too._

_Shut up...it hurts...uwaa..._

"Natsu..." Lucy felt the name rising from her throat but couldn't get her mouth to cooperate.

"I guess you'd forgotten~" Zephyr chirped. He only ever chirped when he knew he had won. "One of my rings, _Timor_ [Latin for Fear], implanted right there." He poked her heart hard. That was Zephyr. The one that mastered all emotions. His Magic was _Adfectus_, or Emotion Magic. Even the slightest bit of emotion you had fell under his control.

"Na...su..." Lucy felt like she was being deprived of air. She doubled over, tears splattering at her feet. "Nat...su..."

"Siren-sama's got a new agenda~" said Zephyr. He knelt down to meet Lucy's teary eyes. "He's gonna get his ree~evenge! He'll get all your little Fa~iry friends!"

"No..."

"Yes~" Zephyr stood up. "Most of all, he wants that little pii~ink-haired boy~" He paused for a minute, searching Lucy's heart. He giggled and clapped his hands together. "Ah~so you found a little crush! Siren-sama's gonna have a lotta fun tearing him apart!"

"Leave Natsu alone!" Lucy shouted, surprising him. She straightened up and stepped forward, causing him to stumble backwards. Her fear was instantly replaced with fury. To have Natsu hurt because of her...she couldn't stand the idea. That was enough to get her blood flowing. Zephyr's childish expression dropped and turned coolly.

"What right do you have, telling us what to do?" he said in a low voice, analyzing her every movement. Lucy remained still, her posture rigid as a stone. "Hmm...I see." Zephyr's ridiculous smile returned. "Alright then~baibai3" With that, he dived in the river. Not even a splash to show he was even there. Lucy remained still. She didn't know when she collapsed, but suddenly she heard Natsu's voice ringing in her ear.

"Lucy! Lucy! Are you okay? You need Wendy? Come on Lucy, snap out of it!"

Lucy blinked and saw Natsu's face, twisted with grief. The dark expression broke and he smiled widely, hugging her. "Aw, man, I was so worried! What happened? Did you get hurt? Lucy?"

Lucy's mouth was moving but she couldn't hear anything coming out of her. Natsu's touch meant nothing to her cold body. Happy hooked on the back of her shirt, lifting her up. "Let's take her inside, Natsu."

"Yeah," Natsu said absently. He looked Lucy in the eyes, not breaking his gaze for a single step.

He knew something was wrong. And he'd find out. And he'd beat up whoever made her so stiff. That was a freaking promise.


	5. Chapter 5

Natsu was mad.

Not that it was a secret whenever the Dragon Slayer lost it - it was usually extremely obvious when he was angry - but this time it was real, palpable fury. When he sat at a table in Fairy Tail nobody dare approach him. Even Erza stood her distance, which made a great point. The one time Gray challenged him, trying to get his friend to open up, Natsu fried him with his fire. End of story.

"Natsu," Happy said, landing in front of his friend. "You can't take your anger out on the Guild."

"What am I supposed to do then?" he roared, rising to his feet. This caught everyone's attention. "Something's wrong, something's real wrong! Somebody's after Lucy, I can figure that, but she won't tell me! She's too scared to tell me!" Part of Natsu's anger was at the fact that Lucy would not confide her troubles to him. He thought she trusted him enough to do that much. She knew, of course, how strong he was. He'd burn away any problem she had; he'd push himself to his extreme limit and then some if it meant she wouldn't be sad anymore. That's how much he cared, and that's why he was so mad.

"I know, Natsu," replied the cat, frowning. "Lucy knows you can help her, but you can't blame her for being scared."

"But..." Natsu expression darkened in sorrow. "I don't want her to be scared..."

"We can understand that, Natsu," Erza said, her voice soft. She grasped his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "We'll check up on her together, alright? Maybe then she can tell us what's bothering her." Erza was hardly ever comforting, but something about the Dragon Slayer's almost frantic demeanor told her it wasn't time to be stern, rather, to be calming. Natsu nodded slowly.

"I really hope so," he murmured.

Wendy joined up with them to see if Lucy was alright. Then Levy, followed by - of course - Jet and Droy, then Gajeel who seemed much more preoccupied with Levy, Carla and Lily of course, and Mira, Macao, Wakaba...the Guild's most frequent members came along, to make the story short. Natsu knocked on the door but Lucy didn't answer. Her scent was all over the place so she was home for certain.

"She won't open the door!" Natsu said. He didn't want to get her mad by breaking it down either, and the window was locked for once. Gray pushed him aside, stepping up to the door. He placed his hand on the knob and slowly molded his ice in the keyhole. He turned the key and pushed the door open. "Wow, Gray!" exclaimed Natsu, grinning. As always, the obvious passed right by him.

"..." Gray had his head in the crack in the door but didn't say anything.

"What is it, Gray?" Natsu yelled, pushing him aside and kicking the door wide open. Then he froze as well. Because Lucy was standing in the middle of the room, right out of the shower, wet, no towel.

"..." Lucy could only stare back.

Natsu's body became super-heated. Fire erupted all around him, warding off the approaching men of the Guild. He covered his eyes and started shouting and bellowing while Lucy covered her more intimate parts and repeated the action. She raced back in the bathroom and slammed the door shut. "Natsu?" Happy said, poking his friend. The fire died out and all the color literally left him [In the way only animes can do].

"I'm going home," Natsu mumbled, stalking past the other Guild members towards the exit. Gray was still staring at where Lucy was moments ago, his face red.

* * *

"Dear Mom," Lucy scribbled on a sheet of paper. It had become a habit of hers; writing letters, as if her mother could receive them. It gave her jumbled thoughts a voice at least. "I think my life is improving somewhat...I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard. You know, that Guild with the destructive wizards in it? And I'm friends with the Salamander. He's hard-headed, rash, and a bit on the slow side, but he's a great guy. And I met Titania Erza, who's strict but can also be gentle, and Gray, who needs to learn to keep his clothes on...but don't worry Mom, he's a good friend. But I ran into a Chromeadder Wizard with an evil warning...I feel bad I couldn't tell Natsu (Salamander) but I don't want him to get involved any more than he already is. I tried to calm down by taking a bath, but there was a certain incident when I did..."

"I'm very sorry for that!"

Lucy shrieked, falling off the chair onto the floor. The window was wide open and Natsu was bowing to her on the floor. She pounded her chest to calm her speeding heart. "Natsu! Please, give me a warning! I almost had a heart attack!"

Natsu flinched. "Don't hit me!"

"What? Why would I hit you?"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Flashback." His scarf fell down, revealing a bloody gash on the side of his mouth that only Erza's sword could have caused. Lucy guessed that he was punished for the earlier incident. She shivered, and Natsu stood up to shut the window. The night air instantly cooled the room. "Ya feeling better, Luce?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm sorry..." Natsu stared at her with extreme intensity, as if he was examining her soul bit by bit. "I met a wizard from the Dark Guild," she blurted. She couldn't help it. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but he told me that Siren, the Guild Master, was going to come for me, and he'd get all of you. I was too afraid to tell you because I didn't want...Natsu?"

Natsu had opened the window again. "I swear," he growled, a low guttural sound that made Lucy shiver with terror. "I'm going to find them. Wherever they are, I'll find them, and I'll tear them apart."

Lucy raced over and grabbed his hand. "Natsu, they'll kill you."

"Obviously, you don't know how strong I am."

"Natsu..."

"Lucy, let go of my hand."

"Not until you calm down!"

"Lucy!"

"_Natsu!_"

Natsu looked over his shoulder and saw the desperation in Lucy's eyes. He slowly stepped down from the windowsill and turned to face her. She grasped his other hand, holding them up to her heart. "Please, Natsu, you've done so much for me I can never pay you back. If you got hurt on my behalf I wouldn't be able to handle it. Fairy Tail has already done enough for me!"

"That's the thing," whispered Natsu, his eyes gentle. "You can never do enough when its your friends...Lucy, I won't stop trying to save you. It literally hurts to see you in such pain. I care about you too much for that."

_I care about you too much for that. I don't want to see you get abused by these Guild members. Lucy, I'll break you out._ Those were Loke's words to her so long ago. Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks. Natsu wiped them away, his gaze never leaving her eyes. "Natsu, just don't, please..."

"..." Natsu believed he was strong. He had taken on Phantom Lord, Sabertooth, the King of Edolas, a dragon, he even faced a Death Mage and came out alive...yet Lucy, by shedding a few tears, stopped him cold. He walked her over to her bed and sat her down. "Whatever you say, Lucy. Just go to sleep, alright?"

"I can't sleep...I keep having nightmares..." Lucy could tell he planned on leaving when she slept. Even so, the nightmare part was not a lie. Since seeing Zephyr images of her torture raged through her dreaming mind and plagued her all night. To her surprise, Natsu wrapped his arms around her and lifted her on his lap, sitting back.

"M'kay, I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Ugh..." Lucy tried to protest, but lost her will. His body was incredibly warm, warmer than any blanket, and his muscled arms were tight yet protective. She curled up, her body molding nicely to fit in his. He buried his face in her sweet-smelling blonde locks and felt himself calm down. Just once, he had to admit it. He had to admit he loved Lucy.

"Apologize!" Erza yelled at Gray, brandishing her sword. Gray knocked on Lucy's door, sweat beading down the Ice Mage's forehead. When no one answered he checked the door and found it was open. He peeked in at first, making sure she wasn't getting out of the bathroom, then stepped inside. Lucy was seated on Natsu's lap on the bed, both sleeping quietly. Gray couldn't help but laugh. "What is it?" Erza asked, then witnessed the scene.

"Look, our Dragon Slayer found his match," said Gray quietly, as not to wake them. Erza smiled. Her smile grew even wider as she imagined her and Jellal in the same position. Gray laughed awkwardly at Titania's dreamy expression.

"Natsu..." whispered Lucy sleepily, a smile plastered on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey!" exclaimed Natsu, walking into the Guild with a huge smile stuck on his face. A few Guild members muttered welcomes back. Happy flew into his best friend's chest in greeting. Natsu plunked down at the bar next to Gray.

"Your too close, Pinky," said Gray. The usual.

Natsu threw an arm around Gray's shoulders, beaming at him. "How ya doin', Gray?"

The Guild became extremely quiet. Something was up with Natsu.

"What happened to you, idiot?" Gajeel scoffed from his table, biting a huge bolt in half. Natsu leaned against the bar, locking his fingers behind his head.

"I had a _really_ good night!" he smiled. Gray got the message pretty quick.

"What happened last night Natsu-nii?" asked Romeo. Natsu turned his head and blushed a bit. Now everyone was really curious.

"Nat-su!" Lucy sounded, walking out of the Guild's library with a couple of books tucked under her arm. "I'm ready, let's go."

Natsu couldn't have jumped from his seat any faster. Happy fluttered next to his ear. "Where are we going, Natsu?"

"I'm going to teach Natsu," said Lucy. "The wonders of _reading_."

The Guild members all held their breath. Natsu...learning? Two words that never should go together. "We gotta see this!" they exclaimed in unison, all charging towards the door. Natsu repelled them with his Fire Dragon's Wing Attack. Levy smoothed her mussed up hair, smiling. "Lu-chan~" she chimed at Lucy's disappearing back.

* * *

"Natsu, look at this." Lucy held up a book with a picture of a girl falling like a shooting star. "Its a cool novel called _Key of the Starry Sky_."

Natsu peered closer at the cover. "That looks like you."

"That's what you said about the last book too," said Lucy flatly, sighing. [REFERENCE POLICE!] They were seated on a bench at Magnolia Park. Residents played and talked and had picnics. Natsu's stomach growled at the thought of food. When Lucy told him that there were books about dragons he got excited, but she failed to mention how many _words_ could be in a novel.

"I want to eat!" Natsu exclaimed. Happy had been started diving into the pond for fish. There was a sign that said NO FISHING but he ignored it.

"Sure, it'll probably be more productive than this," Lucy said. Natsu stood up and stretched.

"I'd prefer comics, ya know."

"Comics are mostly pictures Natsu."

"Exactly!" he beamed at her and she laughed a bit. Natsu loved seeing Lucy happy or excited about something. It was almost contagious to him. Books...he had to think.

Natsu froze, an unfamiliar scent filling the air. He craned his neck to look around; there appeared to be nothing different than the usual Magnolia citizens, but something was amiss. "Natsu?" Lucy asked, seeing him tense up.

"Maybe you should go home, Luce," he replied. Lucy got the feeling she should leave. She stood up and and walked briskly out of the park.

"Aw~you warned her," mused Zephyr, appearing behind Natsu. He whirled around, growling.

"Are you the one that talked to Lucy?" he snarled.

"Why, yes," replied the Mage. That was all he got out before Natsu's fist connected with his face, sending him flying into the tree. He crashed against the trunk, causing it to snap and the tree to fall on the ground.

"I'm gonna burn you until not even cinders are left!" Natsu roared, fire spewing out of his mouth. Zephyr swiped two fingers horizontally and the attack swerved to the right, dissipating in the air.

"Hoo~ow interesting, this challenge is." Zephyr vanished in a blur. Natsu looked around wildly, as even his scent disappeared. Zephyr's hand grasped his head and slammed the Dragon Slayer into the dirt. "I have an exeeem~plary mastery of Phasing Magic," he said, planting his boots on Natsu's back. Natsu grasped the dirt and fire erupted all around them. Zephyr jumped away to avoid being burnt.

"I don't give a crap!" Natsu boomed, his eyes wild with anger. "You guys hurt Lucy! That's all I care about!" He pulled back his arms and unleashed a maelstrom of fire. The attacks all turned away from Zephyr without even mussing his hair.

"Your loov~e is so adorable~" he smiled.

"SHUT UP!" Natsu jumped in the air, his hands ablaze. "Exploding Flame Blade!" Fire curled all around the park, lighting up everything brilliantly. Zephyr twisted the flames around so they didn't hit him, but he was too preoccupied to notice Natsu barreling right at him. He latched in Zephyr's neck, throwing him to the ground.

"You know," Zephyr said, low and serious. "She can never love you back. Her heart's always gonna belong to her spirit the Lion...Loke, that's his name."

That caused Natsu to falter. Zephyr grabbed his arm and twisted it around, throwing him to the ground. Natsu screeched as his elbow cracked. "You should never faa~lter in a fight," he chirped. He yanked Natsu's arm upwards, causing him to scream more, and forced a bracelet on his arm.

"What is-" Natsu didn't get to finish, because right then a wave of electricity shot through his whole body. He shrieked and shook, trying to take off the bracelet, but it was as if it was stuck to his skin.

"That bracelet lights up every nerve ending you haa~ve," said Zephyr. "No human being could withstand that pain~."

"That's the thing." Natsu grit his teeth and grabbed Zephyr's boot. He was shocked; Natsu was not only moving but using his magic. The fire tracked up Zephyr's pants. "I'm no normal human...I'm a Dragon Slayer!" he bellowed, rising to his feet and throwing Zephyr into the pond with a large splash. Zephyr rose moments later, soaked.

"I'm gonna-eh?" All of a sudden he was high in the air.

"Aye sir!" Happy called to Natsu. Natsu tensed his arm despite the pain and sent the strongest course of fire through it he could. The bracelet cracked then shattered.

"The cat?" Zephyr said in disbelief. He stared at Magnolia growing smaller and smaller.

"Now!" Natsu shouted. Happy tilted downwards and shot towards Earth with incredible speed.

"Max Speed!" he yelled. Zephyr covered his face with his arms as Natsu cocked a fist back. Happy pulled away in time to drop Zephyr. Natsu reared forward.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" He mustered every last bit of magic he had left. The flames carved an incredible crater into the park, most of the road and a few abandoned warehouses. Zephyr was blasted backwards, disappearing in the sky.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy asked his friend. Natsu nodded his head, then he collapsed on his knees.

"Guah, Happy, take me back to Fairy Tail," Natsu gasped. Happy nodded and grabbed Natsu's scarf, carefully lifting him up and towards the Guild.


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy knocked her box of papers to the floor. She got down on her knees to struggle and gather them. She tried to read and write something but her mind was still on Natsu, wondering what had happened. She could see his flames miles away through the window, hear his screaming, almost physically feel his pain...

A tap on the window brought her to attention. She got up and unlatched it, pulling it open. Happy flew in and dropped on the floor. Natsu's limp body dropped beside him. "Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, diving to his side and grabbing his hand. By the way he winced it was surely broken. "Natsu, what happened?"

"That guy," he rasped. His movements were almost robotic they were so stiff. He slowly sat up to look her in the eyes. "That guy...Zephyr...I beat him for you." Then he smiled despite his battered appearance. That was Natsu. Extreme pain, yet he could still grin like an idiot. Lucy started tearing up and squeezed his hand incredibly hard.

"Natsu, I told you not to!" she said, but she was edging on anger and disbelief. Natsu beat Zephyr? Yes, Natsu was strong, but often times he let his emotions get out of control. If your emotions got out of control you were a pawn on Zephyr's field. "He didn't use his magic?"

"He used Phasing Magic, if that's what you mean." Natsu reached over and pulled Happy closer. Both of them were out of magic energy. "Oh, Lucy, I tried to go to the Guild and find Wendy, but everyone had left to see what the explosions were. Most everyone in Magnolia went. So I came here."

Lucy was boiling as he sifted through her drawers. "Natsu, you really don't understand. Zephyr...he let you win." She cut him off when he tried to speak. "Zephyr's magic can control your emotions. If you react to anything he can control it, amplify it to painful levels." She flinched, a habit, remembering the ring eternally welded in her chest. "If he didn't use his Emotion Magic then he obviously was not serious." She pulled out a first aid kit and opened it up. She unraveled Natsu's scarf and set it down. She started to take off his jacket but stopped.

"Eh? Luce?" He stared at her. She was trembling, her face burning red. He snickered. It was incredibly comical how she had the bravado to stand up to him, the Fire Dragon Slayer, yell at him, reprimand him constantly, yet taking off his jacket made her nervous. He unzipped it and it fell in a bundle on the floor.

"Oh," Lucy exhaled. His body was just as hard-muscled as she thought. She found herself running her hand along his chest and packs. Natsu was actually a bit relieved despite the situation. At least she wasn't mad anymore...or so he thought.

"Lucy," Natsu reminded her about his injuries. Lucy blushed as she rubbed something green and burning over his wounds. "Lucy, there's no way that giggling freak could have beat me."

"Natsu...Zephyr can easily fool people. You think you beat him but you didn't. He could come back at any time."

"I'll beat him up again if he comes anywhere near you," he said, leveling her gaze. "Lucy, ya have to trust I can protect you."

"Natsu-"

"No, Lucy, listen to me this time!" He grasped her shoulders tight and stared at her hard. "If you trip on a rock, I'll catch you. If you cry, I'll burn your tears away. If you feel weak, I'll be your strength. Lucy, I'm the dragon to your princess. Your bound within my castle and have been since we met. And since then I've been the dragon, fighting dangers that dare approach. And no freakin' savior or whatever you want to call it can come either...because I'm both your armor and your hope, Lucy! And I wish you could think of me the same."

The only sound for a long time was Happy's ragged breathing. Lucy stared back at Natsu, who remained rigid, his grasp not loosening. "Was that a...confession?" That was her first coherent thought.

"I don't know. But those were my thoughts, Lucy. Do you believe me now?"

"..."

"Lucy, I asked a question."

"Hmm, right, eh..." She was still on his last words. Natsu could tell he got her flustered. He almost felt like laughing again but tried to stay serious. "...Natsu, I still believe you were in the wrong."

"Eh?" exclaimed Natsu. He blinked in surprise.

"Don't do anything like that again," she said softly. "But...thank you. For caring about me." She ended her sentence with a clip of bandages around his waist. Natsu stood up and slipped his jacket back on. He picked up snoozing Happy and started towards the window, changed his mind upon the searing pain in his legs and headed towards the door.

"Lucy." Lucy snapped to attention and looked at him. He eyed her for several seconds and broke into a sneaky grin. "Your face is so adorable when your embarrassed." He ran out the door to avoid getting hit in the head with a flowerpot.

"He said..." Lucy stared at his disappearing back. "He said...I was...adorable?"

* * *

"Did you get it in?" Siren, shrouded by two female Mages fanning him, asked. Zephyr nodded, stripping his cloak.

"_Iracundia_, right in his thii~ck little skull," Zephyr smiled. A knife whizzed by Zephyr's nose and stuck, handle out, in the cement wall.

"Sorry," said fellow Chromadder Mage Gale. "There was a fly."

"Your the only fly hanging around," Zephyr mocked. Gale's specialty was Requip Magic. The young indigo-haired male could Requip weapons as fast as Fairy Tail's own Titania. To improve his fighting abilities, he could use the same Armor Requipping she did, and his armors reflected the eight elements. Though passive and lackadaisical he was an extremely accomplished Mage, taking down two Guilds on a bad day.

"Mmh," Gale scoffed. "You teeter like a freaking bird."

"Freaking bird," Eloise echoed. Her Sound Magic had that one drawback.

"That's the bird over there," Zephyr pointed out. "Stupid parrot Eloise."

"Parrot Eloise," said Eloise. She ran a hand through her straight black hair and scowled at him. "Why are we arguing? Siren-jiji, we should just charge those Fairy Freaks now and save us all some time! Besides, the further we wait, the more that girl becomes acquainted with the Fairies, and the more they'll feel the need to protect her!"

"Its not as much the other Fairies we must worry about," said Master Siren, standing up. He was tall, with walnut skin and spiky white-gold hair tied back at the nape of his neck. "It is Salamander."

"Salamander? That lizard? I'll skin him bare!" shouted Gale, throwing another knife to pierce the other. He sunk back in the bar chair and sighed, taking a drink from his cup of beer.

"Still yourself, Gale." Siren crossed the room to the bar. "The Fairy Tail Wizards require precision to produce the least casualties...deaths will attract Era's attention, my Wizards. So we must approach the situation carefully."

"I got it!" Zephyr chirped, beaming. "We'll start with her friends, save Salamander for last!"

"Speaking of that gecko," Gale smirked at Zephyr. "I heard a real commotion between you two in the park."

Zephyr rubbed a bruise under his jaw. That was the only visible remnant of he and Natsu's brawl. "Him? He's noo~o match."

"Sure? Cause you looked pretty sore earlier, Zephyr."

"Eh~" Zephyr ignored Gale's snip and turned to his Master earnestly.

"Your plans are never short of entertaining, Zephyr." Siren made something reminiscent of a smile and sat once more. "Get ready for an attack, my Wizards."

"An attack, my Wizards!" Eloise skittered across the room to Siren. "Siren-jiji, can I mess with the girl? Ple-ase?"

"You may, but no harm to her or the Wizards of Fairy Tail."

"No harm to her or the Wizards of Fairy Tail!" Eloise saluted Siren before streaking through the Guild doors. The evening air was perfect for a nice little heartbreak.


	8. Chapter 8

Dunno why I put 'Eloise' in the last chapter instead of Gale. I get tired and confused sometimes. Disregard that, and enjoy the chapter.

* * *

"Luce, lets go on a mission!"

"Nope," replied Lucy, drinking her bowl of soup. Natsu's face darkened.

"Why?" he groaned, kicking his legs out and leaning against the lunch table. Lucy sighed and her shoulders slumped.

"Because...you remember the last mission we took?"

"You mean the one yesterday with Everlue?" said Happy, perched on his friend's shoulder.

"Yes, that one, where I found myself drenched in _sewer water_. I scrubbed myself for _hours_ last night."

"But we got you the reward!" Natsu retorted.

"Rent money!" added Happy.

"No, you did not." Lucy set the spoon down carefully, controlling herself. "It ended up with Mr. Melon not being rich, us getting no reward and me being covered in sewer water, to reiterate."

"...So?"

"Natsu, I don't understand how you can constantly wallow in your own filth. Even cats licked themselves clean." She cast a sideways glance at Happy immersing himself in a bowl of fish. "...Well, most cats."

Natsu got on his knees and bowed his head. "Plee-eee-aa-se Luce! I'm so bored, and Gray and Erza went off on their own missions!"

Lucy walked past him to the bar and handed the empty bowl and spoon to Mirajane. She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! But I better be clean by the time the mission's over." Natsu beamed in response, running up to the request board.

"Outta the way, Nav!" he said, pushing the Mage away. Nav scoffed. Romeo, who was searching for his own job, looked up.

"Natsu-nii, your getting a job?" he asked.

"Yeah, me and Lucy are going out on a job!" he grinned. He looked up and down the request board, looking for something Lucy couldn't possibly complain about. He plucked a paper about fighting two Vulcans. "Hey Romeo, this looks easy right? Even Lucy could do it!"

Romeo laughed nervously. "Um, Natsu-nii..."

"What?"

"I think your definition of 'easy' and Lucy-nii's definitions are different..."

"What does that mean?"

Romeo face-palmed. Natsu felt Levy tugging him backwards. She led him to a different corner of the room where Gajeel was sitting in the shadows eating a wrench and Jet and Droy were doing their fangirling routines at Levy. "Natsu," Levy explained. "Girls are fragile, you know. You can run around punching everything in the face but - heads up - Lucy can't."

"Eh? Lucy is strong!" Natsu winced, remembering the times she's knocked him around.

"But not as strong as you," said Levy.

Natsu thought for a minute. "Okay, I understand!"

Lucy was enjoying a book when she heard it. A deep rumbling sound that seemed to be coming from all over Magnolia. A few Guild members looked anxious; others relieved; others just plain drunk or whatever they usually did in Fairy Tail. Mirajane was smiling as always. "He's back," she said.

"Who?" said Lucy.

"He's back!" Natsu roared, Happy following behind him. "I'm all fired up!"

"Lay off, you idiot," said Gajeel. "Ya wanna get your butt kicked again already?"

"Shut up!" retorted Natsu. "I'll knock that geezer straight today!"

"Who?" Lucy repeated.

"Lucy is an owl," Happy giggled. Lucy snatched him from the air.

_Boom!_ Lucy nearly fell from her seat. A hole appeared parallel to the Guild doors. A redheaded man with a long black cloak staggered in absentmindedly. "Oh, sorry, missed the door," he said. He looked around at the Guild members.

"Gildarts! Fight me!" Natsu called, charging him with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. With one hand "Gildarts" grabbed his fist and flipped him into the ceiling. Then he spotted Cana drinking at the bar.

"Cana-chan~" he said, running up to her. She scoffed a bit.

"Go away, Gildarts," she scowled. He looked disheartened.

"Why don't you call me Daddy?" he whined.

"'Cause I don't want to," Cana slurred and returned to her beer. Gildarts sulked.

"Who is that?" Lucy asked Levy.

"Gildarts, Fairy Tail's strongest S-Class Mage," she replied, careful about Natsu's super hearing. He heard anyway.

"No!" he yelled as he hit the floor. "I'm the strongest! That old geezer just caught my weak spot!"

"More like knocked you the hell out," scoffed Gajeel.

"Gajeel, you want some of this?" Natsu threatened, fists blazing.

"If it'll knock you down a few notches, hothead," the Iron Dragon Slayer replied, rising to his feet.

While the two Dragon Slayers were duking it out, Makarov approached Gildarts. "Hello, Gildarts, how was the mission?" he asked, jumping up and sitting on the bar. Gildarts dropped into a bar chair, sighing.

"No good, Master," he replied. "That Guild was a handful. It wasn't as much numbers as the Mages themselves." He picked his ear, thinking. "Especially that one kid...Gust or something like that. A kind of wind. He got me mad an' sad an' all kinds of things."

"Eh?" Lucy inhaled. She was face-to-face with Gildarts. "Do you mean...Zephyr?"

Natsu punched Gajeel in the face and turned to listen. "Yeah, that's the name." Gildarts looked up at Lucy. "You know him?"

Lucy's hands balled up into fists. "I thought that guy was finished!" Natsu said before Gajeel clipped him in the side, knocking him to the ground.

Lucy didn't know when she had left, but suddenly she was walking on the street, sunlight all around her, dancing off her golden locks. She held back a cry; if Fairy Tail's strongest didn't have a chance, what about Natsu? She was so terrified he'd try to fight Zephyr again and get hurt again, or worse... She ended up in Magnolia park, where huge craters were still in the process of being filled by Earth Mages, who were currently out. Because of the wreckage the park was empty, benches whistling in the wind for company. She slowly walked towards the tree, running her hand along the aged bark.

"Natsu..." she whispered. "Natsu...Natsu...Natsu..." Lately, his name was a sort of mantra to her, one that filled her body with comfort. Her fingers curled into a fist. She only wished that he wouldn't risk his life so much for her. Lucy, who hadn't even a name of her own. It hasn't even been a week since she's lived this life, the one of a Mage. She did enjoy spending time with Natsu, Gray, Erza and Wendy, but it felt so...

_Wrong._

It felt wrong of her to live the same life that caused the death of her mother, the downfall of her father, and the torture she's endured for her life. It was a constant internal struggle to choose using magic and joining Natsu or giving up the life all together. But she had a worry, that without Fairy Tail to fill the void, nothing would be left but an empty cask, and she would crumble. "Natsu..."

"Like a broken record player," mused Gale. Lucy grit her teeth.

"What do you want?" she snapped, covering her fear with anger.

"Nothing more than the usual," he replied, standing parallel to her. His blue and gold jacket, zipped down to his white pants and black boots, had the Chromeadder mark printed across the breast.

"Don't talk about Natsu!" Lucy said, her cheeks turning pink.

"Defensive, aren't you? But don't you notice an odd pattern with him?"

Lucy covered her ears and turned away. The Chromeadder Mages messed with her mind too many times already. She tried to walk away, but he blocked her path, changing into an exact duplicate of Natsu. He feigned a look of pure agony on his face. "'That's the thing," he said, repeating his words from a while ago in Natsu's voice. "You can never do enough when its your friends...Lucy, I won't stop trying to save you. It literally hurts to see you in such pain. I care about you too much for that.'" He wrinkled his nose, his dark expression horrid on Natsu's face. He switched back to his own voice. "Ain't that sweet? Pinky finding love."

"Stop it!"

Gale leaned closer, grazing Lucy's neck with Natsu's fingertips. "And you love him too, don't you?" he whispered in her ear. Even the body heat was a match. Lucy, despite herself, turned red with embarrassment. His fingers traced a slow, delicate line across her body, resting on her arm. "That's why you're always with him."

"Your wrong," Lucy replied, but her voice was weak.

Gale moved closer, a sinister smirk in place. "You sure?" His free hand gripped the back of her neck. In the light of the setting sun, Natsu looked better than ever. Lucy had to constantly remind herself it wasn't Natsu, simply Gale using a Transformation spell. "Because you know...Fairy Tail might want your magic. He's the bait to their trap."

"That's stupid...I'm their friend..."

"And how would you know?" Gale said slowly, meeting her downcast gaze. "You can't read people. I can tell though, when someone wants something. Its a special skill of mine." He released his grip on her arm and manifested a ruby-encrusted dagger in his hand. The gleaming tip was cold against her throat. "And I can tell a cobra poised to strike. That Natsu of yours, that you want so badly..." He switched to Natsu's voice. "I don't love you, I only want what you have."

Lucy heard her tears drip on the metal.

"Lucy, don't cry," he said, his tone dripping bitterness. "I'll burn away those tears, y'know?"

"Stop it, Gale!"

An arc of gleaming azure ice traced a path along Lucy's throat, knocking the dagger to the grass. It skidded on the mud and fell in the lake with a loud plop. Gale's eyes flickered from the lost weapon to her own, interest lighting up his magenta irises. "Mimicry?" he said. "That's a very interesting skill you've developed."

The ice shattered into tiny bits. Lucy was panting now; her inner throat felt like it had been encased in ice.

"I'll have to drop this to Siren," he said, changing back to his own form. He smiled cruelly. "It'd be very interesting to know."

"Gale!" Lucy shouted, startling him. Her resolve was shakier than ever, but her task was clear: stop Gale from telling Siren this information.


	9. Chapter 9

"Princess is fighting back?" Gale smirked, as one would to a child with a wooden sword. "Let's see this."

Lucy concentrated as hard as she could. She pictured the fire building in her body, flooding her with the warmth. She imagined it going into her hand and out. She barreled towards Gale, fist reared back. "Fire Dragon's...Iron Fist!"

A measly amount of embers manifested. Gale knocked her fist aside and kicked her to the ground. "You need more than a fancy light show to beat me."

Lucy got on her knees. Fairy Tail Mages were as diverse as anyone else - she had a million different combinations to try out. She slammed her hand in the dirt. "Ice Make...Floor!"

A thin sheet of ice made its way under Gale's feet. He stumbled and tripped, his butt crashing in the mud. Lucy didn't let up despite the pain in her arms; she was unused to magic on its own, and she was carelessly switching between fire and ice. She dived down and kneed him in the stomach. She swiped her fist, hitting him right in the jaw. He turned his head to spit blood in the lake water. "That's interesting," he smirked. She jumped back as his body was enveloped in a white light. When he stood up, he was clothed in a samurai's armor, twelve swords in all sheathed at his sides and back. The helmet had the Chromeadder mark on both sides. He drew two swords, crossing them at his chest. Then he reared back before charging. "_Dosukkoi!_"

Lucy spun around to avoid the super-speed attack. Light enveloped her feet as she took on the property of Speed Magic. Gale's attacks were rendered useless against her ability to dodge. "I'm more than Chromeadder's toy," she gasped.

"Of course," replied Gale. His armor disappeared into something resembling Erza's Flame Empress Armor, but with a red and violet color scheme. He held a scarlet _kusarigama_ in each hand. He licked his lips. "You're _my_ toy."

"Shut up, Gale," Lucy retorted, unable to hide the tremble in her voice. In an instant Gale was centimeters away. He cradled her face in his hand, their noses almost touching.

"You were always a very cute girl," he said. "What makes that buffoon better suited than me? Do I have to dye my hair pink and run around screaming stupid catchphrases like 'I'm all fired up!'?"

Lucy repelled him with a blast of lightning. He spun in the air before hitting the ground hard, digging his heels in the dirt to keep in place. The chains clinked together, sparking with each touch. "This is my special _Raijin_ Armor," he stated. "I've recently acquired it. It has the same essence as a Lightning God Slayer." He aimed one scythe at her and a bolt of lightning erupted from the tip. Lucy barely had time to blink before it hit her. She moved at the last moment, causing the electricity to zoom past her arm, burning her shoulder. She shouted as she stumbled to the right, clenching her bleeding arm.

"Damn you, and all you Chromeadder Mages," she said through clenched teeth. She tried to summon the same lightning but found her magic energy depleted. "What?" she breathed in confusion. Gale chuckled into his hand.

"I've never lost a battle," he said. "Do you know why?" When Lucy didn't respond he sent another lightning bolt her way. She jumped out of the way only to trip on a tree root. The next blast scorched her foot, earning a few shrieks from her. Gale rested the blades on his shoulder as he approached her, face smug as a cat holding a rodent by the tail. "I hold a special Lacrima." He tapped his chest. Lucy looked carefully and saw, between his purple breastplates, a sliver of blue. "This Lacrima absorbs others' magic around me for me to use on my own. Therefore, I could pull out any armor - including that rare Nakagami Armor Titania holds - and utilize it infinitely, as long as Mages remain nearby."

Magnolia was full of Mages. That meant Gale was virtually unstoppable. Gale stepped closer, smiling at her fearful expression. "I do love seeing you so scared. It fills me with unimaginable pleasure." [Gale is a Yandere by the way. Totally valid fact.] With that, he hit her again, but with the flat of his blade, wanting to treasure her pained expression more. He hit her side over and over again, until she couldn't even breathe and blood was the only thing that came out of her mouth. He Requipped once more, to a black _kimono_ and azure _kamishimo_. He pulled out a blade sheathed at his side; the reversed edge was in a tooth,like fashion, with a three-inch diameter piece cut out near the tip. Lucy stared at it through the haze of her fading consciousness. Gale caressed the blade with his finger. "I can see this brings back your memories."

"Ugh," Lucy coughed, struggling to her knees. It was Gale's favorite thing to do; whenever Lucy refused to participate in any experiment, he'd literally knock sense into her, over and over again, even threaten to kill her more than one time until she gave in. She could almost feel the blade on her neck, Gale's controlled voice speaking. _If you dare cross us...you will die, Heartfilia_.

"I can tell you this now: refuse Chromeadder once more..." His voice rose suddenly, a sharp scratch on a blackboard. Emotions - anger, pleasure, humiliation, bitterness - raged through, all fighting to be evident. Lucy cringed involuntarily. "...no, as far as I'm concerned, _Fairy Tail Mage_, this is 'once more'. Siren-jiji'll be cross, but you'll still be of some use, even dismembered." His sword was at her leg, blade pressing into her already bruised skin. Blood welled up around the metal, tarnishing it with deep red.

"Natsu..." Lucy whispered, fingers closing around the sword. Her hands, legs...her whole body lit up with brilliant red and gold flames. Gale recoiled in surprise as she stood up, her lacerated thigh shaking with her body weight. "Natsu...he wouldn't give up...Natsu...even if he was bruised and battered and dying..." She looked at Gale, the fire's light reflecting in her eyes. She cocked her fists. "He would always fight...because he knows that I'm waiting...!" She charged Gale again, movements more precised and focused. He swirled around her like the wind, dodging her every move, however, his eyes were constantly on her fists as she thrust them in his direction. He couldn't fight back with her furious movements about him. Her fist finally connected with his ear. He lost his balance and Lucy sent a spinning kick to his jaw. He spiraled before falling, digging deep into the mud. His outfit changed back to normal but the sword remained. "Never underestimate...a Fairy Tail Mage..." Lucy panted, extending her fist with the Guild's mark.

"I guess I know that now," he sighed, sitting up. He was visibly swaying; Lucy's punch had caused serious damage to his inner ear. "But I do know one thing." His eyes locked on hers. "You are and always have been weak."

Lucy paused, but quickly shook it off. He was trying to distract her, give himself enough time to recover. "I'm stronger than you think."

"That's what you believe. That little gecko made you believe that. But you know just as well as I that without him, without that redheaded Lion of yours, your just a frail little girl that can't even use Magic properly." His words were like icicles, jabbing at the littlest crevice in her sanity like a ticking time-bomb. Lucy flinched, as if every word was a blow to her. "I know you've acknowledged that as well. While your Spirits were idle, you were a simple lab rat. Even your little fury - the one you've just unleashed on my pretty face? - never even existed until that cat brought it out." Gale rose to his feet, his gaze never leaving her. "You are _weak_, Lucy Heartfilia. That would be the exact reason why your Spirits had to perish in order for you, a _failure_, to escape, without even an idea of survival in her mind. You were just following Lion's orders, correct? _Run away_, even though you knew that without Chromeadder, you had no direction? For months you wandered...wandered...if fate wasn't on your side, you would have died, and your Spirits work would have been for naught."

Lucy's arms dropped weakly to her side. She dropped to her knees, unable to support herself anymore. "You all can't be content with haunting me, can you?" she said, her voice quivering with tears. "You have to come back...break what little happiness I've earned every time..."

"Happiness with Fairy Tail?" said Gale incredulously. He slowly walked over to her and cupped her face in his hand. "Don't you know? Fairy Tail..._they're_ the bad ones."

"You are such a liar...Gale..." She felt his sword tap her neck, but she didn't respond. Every last word he said burned inside her, stirring the emotions she had wanted to forget as a vagabond, tearing at the pinpricks in her heart, turning them into pitfalls. Tears, burning her wounds, dropped onto the dirt, glowing dimly in the almost-gone sunlight. Blood rolled down the blade to the ruby-encrusted guard, skimming Gale's fingers. Was Fairy Tail really...?

_BOOM!_

Dirt and water flew everywhere, obscuring Lucy's vision. She threw her arms in front of her face to shield it as she hit a park bench, knocking the air out of her. Gale flew into the tree, the thunk audible even from the other side of the park. He gasped and cocked his sword at his attacker. "Chromeadder, what a joke," said a sardonic voice. As the voice cleared, Lucy saw her saviors. Two men, one with spiky blonde hair and the other with smooth black hair, each with a little cat (though the black-haired one's was debatable as a cat, he more resembled a pink frog) like Happy. The blonde's cat, one with red fur and a blue vest, cheered.

"Yeah Sting-kun you got him!" he said triumphantly. The Sting-kun he referred to smirked, fixing his furry blue vest.

"You alright, Miss?" he said, turning to Lucy. She nodded numbly.

"My name's Sting, and this is Rogue," he said, gesturing at his friend. Rogue's demeanor was scarier personally. "We're Sabertooth's Twin Dragon Slayers." He flashed a sharp-toothed smile. "Natsu's girl sure is pretty, I have to admit. Anyway, get back to Fairy Tail! We've been tracking this guy forever, and we're glad to get a piece of him!" His friend dissolved into the shadows of the night, and the edges of Sting's skin turned white. Not testing fate further, Lucy started running, blazing through the pain, thanking the Celestial Spirit King for Dragon Slayers.


	10. Chapter 10

_You know just as well as I that without him, without that redheaded Lion of yours, your just a frail little girl that can't even use Magic properly._

_While your Spirits were idle, you were a simple lab rat. Even your little fury - the one you've just unleashed on my pretty face? - never even existed until that cat brought it out._

_You are weak, Lucy Heartfilia_

_If fate wasn't on your side, you would have died, and your Spirits work would have been for naught._

Lucy stopped abruptly, her injured leg refusing to move anymore. Gale's words were fresh in her mind. She wrapped her arms around herself, the night air colder than usual. She would've cried if she had any tears left. "What's with them," she whispered faintly. "Every time...Chromeadder is always looming over me...I can't...I can't take it..."

She saw the forest path winding around her to a small stone home with a tree forming half of the wall. She found herself limping into the woods, her body becoming even more scratched up with each branch that brushed her. It can't be too hard, she thought, to just lie there and let the animals take care of me. There would be some pain and it would all be over, no more Chromeadder to worry about, no more...

"_LUCY_!"

Lucy could see it clear as day. A huge blaze on the other side of Magnolia, lighting up the night sky like a light Lacrima. Even hidden in the dense trees she could feel the heat of the flame, the physical manifestation of his anger, his fear, his worry. She involuntarily reached out to it, then pulled her arms back, retreating deeper into the darkness' cold fingers. The last thing she needed was another Mage, even Natsu. He was slow to the point; he always tried to help, sweet as he was, but he could never understand. There would always be a permanent barrier between the two.

"No..." she whispered, her voice shattering between the trees. "Natsu, no..."

The fire raged through the town, making the sharpest of turns, all coming to this forest path. Lucy turned and ran, forcing her leg to move, breaking through the woods. She wound her way through the labyrinth of trees, bumping rocks and shrubs and Vulcans eyeing her dangerously. She evaded them all, eventually coming into a wide grassy clearing, the full moon's light illuminating the undulating green waves beautifully. She saw the telltale signs of recent human inhabitants; flattened grass, upturned stones, scorch marks on the tree bark. The place felt odd to her, still had the faint pulse of human life. She stepped into the moonlight slowly, fearing that it would retreat against her embrace.

"Lucy! Lucy!" Natsu's shouts and flames grew closer. She stumbled through the clearing, finally succumbing to the pain and collapsing in the grass. As the moments pass the sounds of animals grew closer, as did her demise.

"Lucy?"

"Natsu?" Lucy whispered. No, it wasn't him. His fire was still in Magnolia. She strained her neck to look around and spotted a pale-skinned figure by a tree. He stepped into the moonlight. "Gray..." She wondered for a moment if that was Gale, but Gale wouldn't demean himself by walking around in his underwear.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed, running over and kneeling at her side. "Oh, God...what happened to you? Who did this?"

"Chrome...adder..." Lucy gasped. Gray gently set his hand on her thigh, freezing over the wound. She let her head fall back, pleased at the cool sensation his ice brought.

"Damn time for Wendy and Erza to be on a mission," he swore. "Lucy, I'm amazed. I could see that battle from far away, sense the Mage's power. But you held your own."

"Gray..."

"Don't talk, Lucy." He slipped his arms under her legs and back and lifted her carefully. "I'll take you back to Fairy Tail."

"No...then...Natsu...he'll find me there..."

"What?" Gray paused, looking at her. "Why don't you want to see Natsu? He saved your life."

"I can't...I can't Gray..." Lucy clenched her fists over her heart. "Please, Gray."

Gray furrowed his eyebrows, then started walking. "I still have to take you back though. But I'll keep Natsu away...if that's what you want."

Lucy wanted to see Natsu; her heart burned to think of him. But the cycle was that he would see she was hurt, try to get revenge on Gale and he would get hurt as well. Then Chromeadder would get the rest of Fairy Tail and she'd be alone in the world again, not a friend left. Lucy touched Gray's chest, her palm resting on his Guild mark. She could almost feel the emotions it bore. "Gray..." She wanted to know. "Why did you join Fairy Tail?"

His face twisted in agony for a moment. "My Master...Ur...she turned herself into ice to save me...I wanted to find a strong Guild, one with Mages who could break the spell...before I knew it, I was attracted to these guys. They became my family."

"What's it like...to have...family?" The feeling was almost foreign to her now. All camaraderie was lost with Chromeadder always watching her, lurking, waiting to close its jaws on her.

Gray's smirk was faint in the trees' shadows. "It gets kinda annoying...especially with Hothead always tryin' to pick a fight...but Fairy Tail always has your back when you need them. Some time ago, Levy, Droy and Jet were attacked by this Guild Phantom Lord. The entire Fairy Tail stormed Phantom Lord in retaliation." Gray squeezed her arm a bit. "Lucy, ya have to understand that we have no boundaries. What happened to you isn't just your problem anymore - all of us feel your pain. Natsu, though, he gets the worse of it. You know, he tries his hardest to make you feel better in his own Natsu-esque way."

"I wish...he didn't..." Lucy turned her head slightly. "I can't...do...anything...Natsu's always fighting for me..."

"Lucy, you're stronger than you think. Not everyone can go through what you did and still smile."

Lucy closed her eyes. She was almost out of strength. "...And Lucy?"

"Yes, Gray?"

"You got a nice ass."

Despite just having been in a horrible battle, Lucy gave Gray a black eye.

* * *

I'm not a GraLu supporter, but I decided to give Natsu a break this chapter. There'll be more moments like this, because I feel that Fairy Tail doesn't have to revolve around Natsu always saving Lucy and the rest of them acting like background characters. But a little fyi, the only other things I support besides NaLu would be Jerza and GaLe. Gray and Juvia is just wishful thinking, simply because Gray had _honestly_ stated _I do not like Juvia_. I don't get how the hell you all came up with Sticy. Lucy has _no_ knowledge of Sting besides the fact he's a Dragon Slayer. Its like _Oh, I see a random character, let me do a shipping._ Df? [/rant]


End file.
